The invention relates in general to a system for the downloading of content over a network and in particular to a system for the downloading of information into a secure cached subscription system from a content provider.
As networks and computers have been able to deliver information faster, users have begun to expect instantaneous information on demand. However, the high cost of providing network communications links to individual users has prevented true information on demand systems from being developed.
Within the context of Video-On-Demand (VOD), systems have been developed for distribution of video programming at the user""s request. These systems have typically used Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) telephone channels, together with public switched telephone networks, for the delivery of video program materials. ADSL channels are bidirectional digital telephone links having bandwidths of 1.54 megabyte in the download direction and 9600 bytes per second in the upload direction. (Download being from a content provider to the individual user). Real-time delivery of video data is necessary to prevent detectable jitter of the image and corruption of the data. For example, without real-time delivery, the voice of a speaker may not match the lip movement or the audio may be unintelligible.
Cable television (CATV) data networks have been developed that allow a continuous connection to the Internet through the cable company""s broadband network. Typically, access to the Internet is provided through a cable modem (or set-top box) connected to the user""s television. The Internet connection is provided on one or two channels of the existing cable network. However, to provide true video on demand through a cable network, the high bandwidth cable channel (for example, hybrid fibre-wax) from the provider to the home needs to be provided. Such a channel is restricted to the lowest bandwidth along any path within the network. Such conventional channels have been of low quality and high cost. There is a high capital expense associated with generating bandwidth to download information directly from the content provider to the processing device. This is because each channel is dedicated to a particular user from a video service to the destination set-top box. In addition, a large demand for the same program or information is difficult to service as capital equipment for generating each program channel is limited.
Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) systems also provides high speed connections to the Internet and video-on-demand. DBS systems provide real-time downloads of information on a pre-arranged schedule or on demand within existing channels. DBS signals allow several programs to be broadcast from a single satellite transposer. This allows a satellite disk to receive up to 200 channels from a single, set position. Thus, DBS systems are capable of providing specialized programming and multiple data channels to the user. However, both CATV data networks and DBS systems have associated higher costs in installation.
What is required is a system that takes advantage of the existing networks, with their associated latency, without increasing the cost of the networks to produce systems that provide information on demand.
A system and method for a secure cached subscription system is described. In one embodiment, the system comprises a content provider and a caching device connected to the content provider. The content provider speculatively downloads information into the caching device based upon a user""s data. A processing device is connected via a high-bandwidth connection to the caching device for processing the information.